EP 285: Trauma Recovery and EMDR Therapy: A Conversation with Danielle Stam

What Makes Danielle Stam with Belong Inc. a Good Neighbor?

What happens when therapeutic relationships become the cornerstone of healing from trauma? Danielle Stam, founder of Belong Inc. Counseling and Consulting, reveals the transformative power of connection in psychotherapy.

Drawing from 20 years of experience as a social worker and psychotherapist, Danielle shares how her own life journey inspired her mission to support others through trauma recovery. Based in Ancaster, Ontario, her practice embodies a profound belief: every person, regardless of their past, has the inherent ability to rewrite their difficult stories when provided with a safe, connected relationship.

As an EMDR certified therapist and approved consultant, Danielle demystifies this powerful therapeutic approach. She explains how Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing works simultaneously with the thinking brain, emotional heart, and physical body to process traumatic memories. Rather than forcing clients to fit a specific modality, she adapts her approach to meet individual needs, making healing accessible across the lifespan—from seven-year-olds to octogenarians.

Danielle's diverse clientele includes children navigating foster care, adoptees of all ages, first responders, military personnel, and individuals struggling with PTSD, anxiety, OCD, and phobias. What unites her approach is an unwavering focus on relationship as the context for healing. Beyond the clinical evidence supporting her methods lies something equally powerful: the human connection that makes transformation possible.

To learn more about Danielle Stam and Belong Inc. Counseling and Consulting, go to: www.belonginctherapy.ca

Belong Inc. Counseling and Consulting
204-720-5883

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a socialworker and psychotherapist?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
daniel Stamm.
Belong Inc.
Counseling and Consulting.
Danielle, how are you today?
I'm good.
How are you?

(00:30):
I'm also doing good and we'reexcited to learn all about you
and your business.
Can you start off by tellingour listeners a little bit about
your company?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Absolutely yeah.
So my business, belong IncCounseling and Consulting, is a
social work and psychotherapypractice and we are located in
Ancaster, ontario, canada,growth.

(01:06):
I'm a social worker andpsychotherapist with 20 years of
experience working in directpractice with children, adults
and families, and also I'm anEMDR certified therapist and an
EMDR approved consultant.
So I provide social work andpsychotherapeutic support to
individuals across the lifespanwho are working to heal from
adverse experiences, and also Iprovide teaching and mentorship

(01:27):
and support through consultationto EMDR clinicians, through
individual and through groupconsultation.
My consultation, in addition topsychotherapy, focuses on
relationship and connection asthe context for self-exploration
and growth.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Wow, danielle.
It sounds like you do quite afew things within your business.
How did you originally getstarted in this industry?

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Yeah.
So, like many mental healthclinicians, my own life
experiences brought me to mypassion of supporting others
through trauma recovery.
After working with children andfamilies within the public
sector for many years, I waslooking to give back to people
in a deeper way.
I had seen so many who neededhelp that surpassed the confines

(02:15):
of the role I was working in,and my experiences working with
people affected by trauma reallyshaped my belief in the ability
of my clients to choose theirown path, regardless of their
experiences.
This was so powerful for me tosee and so really resulted in me
feeling the need to launch myown practice, and this practice

(02:37):
being rooted in the belief thatevery person is uniquely valued
and that relationships providethe context for healing and the
opportunity to rewrite hardstories.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Wow, well, amen to that.
And on another note, what isthe most common misconception
you get in your industry?

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, many people still don't believe that therapy
can help them or that they canfeel differently about their
experiences or that they canheal from any particular mental
or physical health diagnosis.
This leads to a lot ofmisconceptions about
psychotherapy, how it can helpand what we do as clinicians.
When it comes to EMDR therapyspecifically, many who have not

(03:17):
experienced this type of therapyare familiar with the name,
perhaps the evidence supportingit, but are maybe not so
familiar with the uniquerelational aspects that make
this type of therapy so powerful.
Like all forms of psychotherapy, emdr is most effective within
the context of a safe andconnected relationship.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Now, who are your target customers and, in terms
of marketing, how do youcurrently attract them?

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Yeah, so I work with individuals across the lifespan,
so from age six or seven upuntil I see clients as old as 80
, 85.
At times I work with couples.
Also, I work with children andteens, many whom have
experienced disruptions in lifeand have navigated the foster

(04:08):
care system.
I also work a lot with adoptedchildren teens and adults and as
well with adult survivors ofadverse childhood experiences.
I work with first respondersmembers of the Canadian Armed
Forces and I work with thosesuffering from PTSD of the
Canadian Armed Forces and I workwith those suffering from PTSD,
complex PTSD, anxiety, ocd,panic and phobias.

(04:29):
Really, anybody can benefitfrom having someone to talk to.
You can find me on PsychologyToday.
I often receive referralsthrough Psychology Today or on
my website,wwwbelonginktherapyca.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Now, are you online also, or only in person?

Speaker 3 (04:53):
I'm also online, so I provide virtual care as well as
in person.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Amazing, amazing.
Now quick question for you haveyou ever thought of having your
very own podcast?

Speaker 3 (05:07):
I have absolutely and outside of what do you like
yeah, so when I'm not working onmy business or with clients, my
primary focus is my family.
Um, I have three growing kidsand 17 nieces and nephews, and

(05:28):
so we enjoy doing a lot ofthings together.
I'm a free spirit and I try tosoak up every adventure I can.
I enjoy camping in new placesacross Canada and the US and
also appreciate opportunities toconnect with others and find
ways to get back to my communityin whatever way that I can and
find ways to get back to mycommunity in whatever way that I

(05:51):
can.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
So, danielle, can you please tell our listeners one
thing they should remember aboutBelong Inc counseling and
consulting.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yes, yes.
So relationships are veryimportant to me and a big part
of the reason why I startedBelong Inc is sort of that focus
on relationships as being, inmy view, the context for healing
and an opportunity for us torewrite hard stories.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Most definitely, and touching base on the EMDR
therapy a little bit, can youexplain to our listeners a bit
more of what that is?

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, so EMDR therapy is eye movement,
desensitization and reprocessing, and so there's many different
ways to explain EMDR therapy,but it's most well known as a
modality to treat trauma, butthrough the use of bilateral

(06:49):
stimulation, it is consideredboth a top-down and a bottom-up
approach to treating trauma,because we are working with the
thinking part of the brain aswell as we're working with the
brainstem, and so we're workingto clear traumatic and adverse

(07:10):
experiences from the entiresystem, so from the thinking
brain, the feeling heart and thebody all at the same time, and
so we do that through the use ofbilateral stimulation and
providing people with what'scalled a disconfirming

(07:32):
experience of the originalexperience that caused the
difficult memory to causedistress for them.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
So it sounds like rewiring of the brain, if you
will right, yeah, for sure, forsure.
And is that safe for everyoneto do, or is it only good for
certain clients?

Speaker 3 (08:01):
It.
There used to be a belief thatthere were people who could not
benefit from EMDR therapy, andnow we are finding more and more
that most people can do EMDRtherapy, that most people can do
EMDR therapy.
We tend to try and fit themodality to our clients rather
than trying to fit the clientsto the modality, and so there's
adjustments that can be made toto make it useful for for

(08:23):
everyone.
Really.

Speaker 2 (08:26):
Anything else that makes your counseling and
consulting center unique?

Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yes, I think that it is the focus on relationships
and connections above all else,and so many people have heard of
EMDR therapy and they may haveheard about the evidence that
supports this type of therapy,but they may not be so familiar

(08:52):
with the unique relationalaspects that make this type of
therapy so powerful.
Like all forms of psychotherapy, emdr is most effective within
the context of a safe andconnected relationship.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Now where can our listeners go to learn more about
Belong Inc.
Counseling and consulting?

Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yes, so they could go on my website,
wwwbelonginctherapyca.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
Well, Danielle, I really appreciate you being on
the show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (09:32):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPFriscocom.
That's GNPFriscocom, or call469-221-9345.